Why I Wake Up Early (And Why You Might Want To As Well)
Since I teach a course on waking up early, I get a lot of email about how to do it (and more specifically, how to make waking up early easier instead of a freaking ordeal). Most of the questions fall into a few simple categories such as dealing with sleep disorders, insomnia, stress, etc., but every once in a while I get a question that stands out from the rest. Last week I got a great question, so good that I think it desrves a post-style response, since you might have asked yourself this same question before. The question? Here goes:
Why the hell would I want to wake up early? I’d much rather stay up late and get things done then. What’s wrong with being a night owl?
Why Night Owls Are So Much Less Productive Than Early Risers
Just kidding. That headline isn’t true at all. There’s nothing wrong with being a night owl and there’s no magical reason that waking up early is better than staying up late (so no flame wars in the comments please). If you’re staying up late and getting a lot of truly meaningful things done, then keep on keepin’ on. There is no shortage of people who are burning the midnight oil and creating the life that they want. More power to them (or ‘More power to you’ if you’re one of them).
But, consider this …
Working Late Could Be A Sign Of A Bigger Problem
Whether you’re working late, you have to ask yourself why you are choosing to do that. Is it because you’re setting meaningful goals, blocking out time, and tackling them? Or is it because you are trying to “catch up” or cram things in to an overworked lifestyle? I spent a lot of my life in the latter, and I can tell you, it’s no fun. When you’re living a life of reaction – trying to figure out how to handle it all – you open yourself up to “working the problem” rather than working through the problem.
Here’s what I mean. If you’re falling behind, or you have more goals than time, the simplest answer is to stay up later and try and get more done. It’s the easiest answer. But just because it’s easy doesn’t mean it’s right. Staying up later to “get it all done” may essentially be an enabling behavior. Maybe the problem isn’t that you’ve fallen behind – maybe the real issue is that your daily habits don’t set you up for getting ahead. In other words, the issue isn’t that you’re not bailing water fast enough, it’s that you have holes in the bottom of your boat.
And if that’s the case, staying up later to bail faster isn’t the solution. Patching those holes is. And doing that might require:
- Changing poor work habits
- Improving your time management skills
- Resisting the temptation to engage in time-wasting distractions
- Reducing the number of commitments / goals you manage
- Telling people ‘no,’ even when it’s inconvenient / uncomfortable
- Making a life change (for example, new job / career)
- Etc., etc., etc.
Working Late Could Be Taking The Easy Way Out
Again, if you’re a night owl who is making consistent progress on a life of balanced, meaningful goals, then more power to you. But if this article has been making you squirm (and truth be told, it’s making me squirm as well as I think of some habits I need to work on), then your spidey-sense is telling you that you might need to start patching holes instead of playing catch up.
Working late is all well and good, but may simply be a way of distracting yourself with the problem rather than facing the discomfort that comes with trying to fix it. Listen to your gut. What’s it telling you?
Why I Became An Early Riser – And Why You Might Want To As Well
When I realized that working late wasn’t getting me ahead, I decided to start getting up early instead. Why? Because there’s a different dynamic that exists in those early hours, a special kind of time that lends itself more strongly towards getting ahead rather than just “doing stuff.” There’s something about building that habit that just makes it easier to think about making changes that really do improve your life.
Getting up early has given me time to think abut what I want to do with my life without the distractions of the world. I can think more clearly and make decisions more objectively, and on top of that, it just feels good to get into a waking groove earlier. In the next post – the beginning of a series of articles about getting better sleep – I’ll talk more about the specific benefits that come with making the shift to an early riser routine.
Until then, I’ll see you in the comments, and I do hope you’ll subscribe to this blog to catch the “better sleep” series.
It’s too funny that I’m reading this at the end of my ‘work day’…at 2:55 AM.
But you know what Dave? I *did* get up early this morning too…6 AM (that’s early for me). The night before I decided to call it a night earlier than I should have (mind you it was still 2 AM) and try the early riser thing (damn you and Brett!).
I will admit I feel better *mentally* by accomplishing a nice chunk of work before noon. And I’m going to try to keep it going for the rest of my *bad* week. Just to be clear…this is not my everyday schedule! It’s my deadline week and it stinks.
The post didn’t make me squirm, as I do like to work at night and have a hard time rising early. But it IS job’s fault. And I will be making some career adjustments when this is done. Four more days…four more days…
Because frankly, I’d rather be sleeping 9+ hours a night…I’m a lazy ass by nature.
Karen JL’s last blog post..A Little Hell Week Potpourri
Add me to the Early Riser list! Although for the last few months, I’ve been a Night Owl as well… Obviously burning both ends of the candle is not a smart move (can you say BURNOUT!) however, I had good reason behind it – GOALS!
Because I burned both ends of the candle for the last 6 months, I’m happy to say that this is my last week as an employee. Starting Monday I’ll be a full time freelancer – and I can finally start getting more than 4-5 hours of sleep a night, LOL.
I definitely plan to continue being an Early Riser. Yes, I love hitting the snooze button, but I also love accomplishing 3-4 hours of work by getting up at 4 or 5am. It’s the quiet time when everyone else is still asleep – both my family and clients. Which means I have those few hours completely un-interrupted to get a good chunk of work DONE!
There are times, of course, that I rather just sleep in, but I know getting up early is the best thing for productivity. I’ll be sticking around for some more Early Riser motivation. And your Better Sleep series sounds intriguing – I’ll be sticking around for that, too!
Selene M. Bowlby’s last blog post..Get Clients Now! The First 28 Days, Week 4
Dave,
Awesome… I was up at 04:00 today, and I saw this pop into my feed reader… I smiled
(but I was on a roll, so figured I’d wait until I was in here at work to have a coffee break, and say thanks)
The scary thing is, once you get used to waking early, you don’t need an alarm. I woke up today at 03:58 and got up. I only realized a couple of hours later that I’d not set my alarm…
-Brett
Brett Legree’s last blog post..viking fridays – wake early.
Okay, 3:58 is pushing it (Brett! What time do you go to bed??), but I need in on this. It’s quarter to nine AM and I feel as though I have a lack of sleep hangover. I lie to myself about being a night owl, but the truth is, I can’t really take late nights. I can’t take early mornings, either, but I suspect that has something to do with not enough sleep (I’m too light a sleeper and wake up constantly) and too many late nights, which are definitely the result of not better organizing my day. Instead of squirming when reading your list, I was like, YES! This is all me and these are all my issues. I want to fix them. I want to be efficient and — *YAWN* — energetic and productive! I really look forward to your next posts on sleep and early rising.
Steph’s last blog post..writing life
@Steph,
I don’t sleep
no, I just go to bed when I’m tired, I try to read or write or review goals at night (TV is too stimulating for the brain) – when my eyes start to get heavy, I go to bed. So it varies. Last night, it was around 10:30 or so. Some nights it is 12:00, some nights 9:00 – my body tells me how much sleep I need.
As Dave says, if you get a lot done at night, keep on keepin’ on. Maybe just a tweak here and there to improve organization would do it.
(Truth be told, if I didn’t work a “day job” I’d likely just get up when the sun breaks, naturally. That’s the goal for me.)
Brett Legree’s last blog post..viking fridays – wake early.
@Karen –
I know this is Hell Week for you … best of luck with it!
@Selene –
Right – don’t burn yourself out. It ain’t pretty. And hella congrats on making the switch! Shoot me an email / twitter / whatever – I have a couple of Freelancing related questions to ask you if you have a moment.
@Brett –
I’m preaching to the converted, eh?
@Steph –
Organize your day & get some extra sleep soon. My upcoming posts should give you some good pointers – stay tuned.
I stay up late and, for the most part, get my best work done then. However, I have one noticed one benefit of AM work is that things get done faster.
Having a day job and a company means that anything I do in the morning is before I go into the office. There’s a set deadline so I fly though what needs to be accomplished. At night it’s easier to poke slowly and then realize that “if I fall asleep in the next four minutes, I can still get 4 hours of sleep.”
I can’t stomach the thought of 5AM yet, but good post.
@Dave,
Exactly, I’m one of the faithful acolytes…
Brett Legree’s last blog post..viking fridays – wake early.
@David –
Exactly. Having that morning deadline does wonders for kicking your own ass in gear …
@Brett –
Acolytes? Now it sounds like you should be wearing robes and casting spells …
@Dave,
In a D&D sense, that’s true. I grabbed the definition I intended from wikipedia:
“The word acolyte is derived from the Greek word akolouthos, meaning companion, attendant, or helper.”
Perhaps disciple would have been a more appropriate term! In any case, I’m a believer…
Brett Legree’s last blog post..viking fridays – wake early.
This one has pulled me from lurkerdom.
I’m definitely a night-owl. I’ve tried getting up early but it just leaves me drained for the rest of the day. I don’t seem to work well with getting up and sleeping at the same time every day either, so I go with Brett’s rule for going to bed but also for getting up. (I’m on an ‘extended holiday’ at the moment, so work commitments are not an issue, and I’ve been able to see exactly what kind of sleep pattern I need).
Generally, I’m best sleeping somewhere between 2am and 10am. If I’ve got to get up the next day I can make myself go to bed at midnight fairly successfully if I consciously wind-down (turn off PC & TV, no books, listen to a meditation lesson in bed). I do some of my best work between 2am and 4am however, but only when I get ‘on a roll’ in an evening, and only occasionally. Getting up at midday is a surefire way to feel sluggish for a few hours.
I agree that not every night sees a need for same hours sleep. I’ve not set an alarm for a few weeks now and I’ve slept (roughly) 6, 7.5, 9 & 10.5 hours depending on what I needed. (My record to date is 15 hours uninterrupted sleep – but I was a teenager then!)
I find that the jobs I don’t like are best done during the day, since they usually involve having to do something like phone somebody, but there’s definitely different work that gets done in the daytime compared to evening/night time. Afternoons are my ‘constructive’ time, Evenings are my ‘absorbing’ time (e.g. reading/listening/watching) and Nights are my ‘thinking’ time. If I start to get an itch to be constructive in the evening or at night, this usually is when I will be up till 4am creating a masterpiece (such as finishing some choreography that I was stuck with ‘last night’ at 3.50am).
Obviously this doesn’t change what you’re saying in your post, Dave. Working late because you’re disorganised is (as you say) very different to working late because that’s when you get your best work done.
Sometimes I still feel like I’m a slacker for sleeping 2-10, but I’m convinced this is best for me and am trying to tough out the ‘rabbit hole tax’.
James’s last blog post..When will I be ready?
From a mum perspective, waking up early up makes a lot of sense…I wake much earlier than my kids…I finish some of the most important tasks of the day..And then when my kids wake I am in a happy and pleasant mood (well not always – but most of the time)…
Sandy Naidu’s last blog post..Unique Aromatherapy Gifts For Babies And Mums – Meet Catherine Cervasio Of Aromababy
@James –
Keep working the way that gets you the best result & keep rocking …
Glad you’re out of lurkerdom! Hope to see you comment more
@Sandy –
LOL – With kids, you *have* to be an early riser
Dave Navarro’s last blog post..Why I Wake Up Early (And Why You Might Want To As Well)
I’ve been a very early riser for a year (5am folks. Love it) after years of being a night owl (2.30am. Killer.)
Lately, my sleep habits have been shifting. Later and later each night, I stay awake and try to get work done. It’s not good work. I’m tired. I tend to get unfocused easily, get distracted, my work isn’t my best and sometimes, I just end up aimlessly clicking for a few minutes before realizing I forgot what I was doing.
Not good, people.
I am trying to stay up later to be productive, and I am being stupid. I am also waking up later each morning and not getting anything done in my best hours. Plus, waking up later doesn’t leave me feeling refreshed. I feel shitty. It takes me longer to get going. I drag through the day.
I’m creating a really, really, really bad cycle for myself, and it won’t get better unless I put my foot down and get back into my old 9pm 5am habit fast. Because it’s been two weeks, and two weeks is just enough to click a new (bad) habit into place.
Time to put things back to normal.
James Chartrand – Men with Pens’s last blog post..Writing the Farewell Symphony
5:am for me, no alarm. can’t help it, even on vacation.
Problem is by 8:30 at night I am done for. So I HAVE to get everything done in the day. If you try to tell me something to do at night, it better be in writing cause I’m sleep walking.
(I think they call that a sleeping disorder.
Wendi Kelly’s last blog post..A Spring Rain
Dave:
You are so RIGHT ON it’s impressive. I started your program and it lasted for four days before, of all things, I wanted to watch a television program. I don’t even remember what the television program was about (which is normal for me) but I knew I wanted to watch it. I’m weak!! I’m glad to hear you are going to be writing more “reminder” articles to refocus what I need to be doing. Everytime I get up early, I get more done and can actually go relax and enjoy the early evening without the feeling of guilt hanging over my head. I do sleep nine hours or thereabouts a night when I don’t use an alarm. That’s my natural body rhythm. So, that means in bed by eight for a 5am wakeup. Is it worth it? I strongly believe what I get accomplished befor noon is definitely worth it – and I know my clients appreciate my being on time – which right now, I’m not. Keep motivating me Dave!! I know I can get this rhythm going again. And THANKS! You are on the right track.
Mark R. Reif
I’ve developed the habit of getting up early to exercise. I go to the gym or walk while everyone is sleeping and get back as my husband leaves for work.
The last time my husband was away, I got up early anyway, even if I couldn’t go out to exercise, and I worked instead – it was really great! so great it made me wish I could do that every day.
But family life and dinner-time exercise don’t mix well . . . darn.
Ann’s last blog post..Managing Paper Pile-Up, Part One: The Mail
[...] is how I feel this morning. I’ve been trying to follow Dave Navarro’s advice in his series on getting up early so I can be more productive and efficient and all kinds of other [...]
[...] talked about a lot of things in the last week’s worth of posts. Things like why I wake up early and the 5 things that become easier when you do so. We’ve talked about sleep problems and [...]
[...] When I was still an employee I was able to take advantage of the morning hours by getting up very early (4.30am) and doing my most important tasks first as advocated by the likes of Leo Babauta and Dave Navarro. [...]
Hi Dave
I just bought the “Becoming an early riser” program from you and heard about the early riser online discussion forum in the audio. It says that the detail of getting in to the forum is in the package I’ve downloaded but I couldn’t find anything. Is it hidden somewhere in one of the audio tracks that I haven’t get to yet or has it been discontinued? I still would like to have a look at the forum and view some past comments even if I couldn’t leave a message or anything. Cheers